Chapter 3160 The weather is unfavorable
A big fight pulls out the valley.
The sky was clear and sunny one moment, but in the blink of an eye it was covered with clouds and cool breeze, as if someone had cast a veil over the sky.
The ridges on both sides of the valley mouth stretch windingly into the distance. There are green trees and cattle and sheep on the hillside, and there is no trace of the withered yellow color of autumn.
However, although the land of Hexi is far away from the Western Region, the climate is just as changeable. Although the tall Qilian Mountains bring abundant water sources to the counties in Hexi, they also block the warm water vapor blowing from the south. Once the cold airflow from the vast north goes south, there is no obstacle and can reach the northern foot of the Qilian Mountains.
This causes the Hexi counties to change from autumn to winter very quickly. It is often just after an autumn rain that the temperature drops sharply. It is not uncommon for it to rain one day and snow the next.
Fang Jun looked at the dark clouds in the sky in the barracks, feeling worried.
At present, the research and development of firearms is hampered by chemical technology and it is impossible to develop primers. Although matchlocks have also switched to using breech charges, which is much more convenient, they have never been able to achieve a breakthrough in metal bullets. This has not only greatly reduced the power of muskets, but also Will be subject to weather restrictions.
Once it encounters rain or snow, the number of launches will be greatly slowed down or even unavailable.
The progress of chemistry requires the accumulation of countless experiments by countless people over many years. It is definitely not possible for someone to cross those boundaries with a flash of inspiration and a golden finger.
"When will the Tuyuhun people arrive?"
Fang Jun stood with his hands behind his hands and asked without looking back.
Behind him, Pei Xingjian was immersed in papers, dealing with various battle reports and official documents. After hearing this, he raised his head and said: "According to the scouts' report, we can reach the valley entrance in about two days. The roads in the Qilian Mountains are difficult. The valleys are winding and narrow, making it difficult to camp, so after arriving at the mouth of the valley, the Tuyuhun people took a short rest before launching an assault. ”
Fang Jun nodded.
Based on this calculation, three days after the decision is made, the battle for the battle to pull out the valley will begin.
The Youtun Guard relied on the power of firearms. The fortress built at the mouth of the valley tightly blocked the Tuyuhun cavalry in the mouth of the valley, and continuously killed and wounded them. But if it rains heavily when the Tuyuhun people attack, causing the power of the firearms to drop sharply, then God is really going to kill me...
War is like this. It is said that man's calculations are better than God's calculations, and it is also said that people's calculations are better than God's plans. Even if you have calculated everything correctly, a sudden change in the weather may make all preparations in vain.
Changes in the weather and the choices of people's hearts can determine the outcome of a war by just a few centimeters.
Therefore, there is a theory of "national destiny". If you get the help of destiny, you can defeat more with less, defeat the strong with the weak, and win against the odds, so that the country can be favored by destiny and achieve the "Snake Swallowing Elephant" "The victory changed the fate of the country in one fell swoop.
Could it be that the Battle of the Valley, a battle destined to be extremely tragic, would soon determine the fate of the Tang Dynasty?
If the weather is clear, he is confident that the Tuyuhun people will be blocked at the mouth of the valley, making it difficult for them to cross the thunder pond; if it rains heavily, the power of the firearms of the right camp guards will be lost, and they will be completely defeated by the charge of the Tuyuhun cavalry. The army was destroyed.
The life and death of an army, the destiny of a country, can only depend on the face of God...
This feeling of powerlessness that even if all the mechanisms are exhausted, he cannot control the victory or defeat in his own hands even if he fights for life and death, makes Fang Jun feel very bad.
After letting out a long breath, he turned around, sat behind the desk by the window, and asked the clerk to make a pot of tea. He poured a cup himself, took a sip, and asked, "How is the situation with the Anxi Army?"< br>
The news of the Anxi Army's great victory in the first battle has been sent here, but Fang Jun has not yet learned about the situation after the war.
Pei Xingjian also raised his head from the papers, relaxed his sore neck, stood up, sat down next to Fang Jun, poured himself a cup of tea, held it in his hand and said: "The Anxi Army won a great victory in the first battle, but the losses were not small. In addition to the ruins of Suiye City, more than 3,000 soldiers were killed and 2,000 were injured. For the Anxi Army, which is at a numerical disadvantage, it will directly affect the subsequent formation and strategic layout. The Anxi Army... is currently difficult. However, judging from Xue Sima's tactics, it is obvious that the King of Hejian. Already taking the initiative to take the defensive, strengthening the walls and clearing the fields, making camp step by step, and gradually bringing in the Arab army. In the hinterland of the Western Region, the Arab army's advantage will be eroded bit by bit. Judging from the current situation, as long as the Yumen Pass can be finally defended, the strategic goal will be achieved. After all, the Arabs' barbaric plundering will inevitably plunder all the tribes in the Western Region. Once empty, brutal killings will arouse the anger of the people of all ethnic groups in the Western Regions. , The Arab army, which has never known how to build, has no stable supplies of supplies and can only retreat in panic from the Western Region. Of course, if the Anxi Army is unable to stop the Arab army, it will not only fight the entire Western Region, but even break into Yumen Pass, and the troops will be directed towards Hexi. The counties...that would be a big problem.”
Fang Jun sighed.
"It's big trouble" is just Pei Xingjian's euphemistic way of saying it. By that time, it will be more than just trouble? What a disaster!
Even if the Youtun Guards were lucky enough to intercept Tuyuhun in Dadouba Valley, once the Tuyuhun people gave up the strategy determined by the first battle, they would break into pieces and sneak into the Hexi counties from the valleys and ravines all over the Qilian Mountains. If you make up your mind to fight a protracted war of attrition, you will surely drag Youtunwei to the west of the river and have no time to look west.
At that time, the Arab army broke into Yumen Pass again, and the Youtun Guards were attacked from both sides. There was no other possibility except that the entire army was annihilated.
The Youtun Guards cannot be defeated, otherwise Tuyuhun Qi will take advantage of the trend and advance eastward to Guanzhong, endangering the imperial state; the Anxi Army cannot be defeated, otherwise the Arab army will occupy the western region and break into Yumen Pass. Refers to Guanzhong...
Who would have expected that the Tang Dynasty, which had conquered the world and dominated the world, would suddenly encounter such a dangerous situation during the Eastern Expedition?
In the battlefields of Hexi and the Western Regions, facing powerful enemies, we can only win but cannot lose. How difficult it is!
Even though he admired His Majesty Li Er very much, in the face of such a critical situation at this moment, in front of his confidants, Fang Jun finally couldn't help complaining: "If His Majesty had accepted my suggestion and allowed the navy to be responsible for the sea route to Liaodong, Pingrang City launches attack , The army that cooperated with the land route was blocked in Anshi City for more than two months, and the momentum of the entire Eastern Expedition was seriously hindered. As long as Goguryeo was quickly defeated and His Majesty's troops returned to the country, all crises would be solved immediately..."
It was precisely because the Eastern Expedition army was blocked in Anshi City and its momentum was hindered by the loss of troops and generals that Tuyuhun thought there was an opportunity and rebelled brazenly.
It also attracted the cruel wild wolf of the Arabs...
If the navy had attacked the coastal cities of Goguryeo at the beginning, and then either sailed upstream along the Yalu River to cut off Goguryeo's northward support route, or simply entered the Xishui River and arrived at Pingrang City for a bombardment, where would there be today's situation? Will the Eastern Expedition be delayed?
Pei Xingjian took a sip of tea and whispered: "As ministers, in addition to being loyal to the death, we must also understand your Majesty's difficulties. All forces in the DPRK and China are intertwined, and everyone's eyes are fixed on the achievements of the Eastern Expedition, and your Majesty also We have to weigh trade-offs and strive to balance the needs of all parties. How can we be arbitrary and act on impulse? As the Duke of Yue said in your "On Sea Power", the purpose of war has never been just war... With the current situation like this, what can we do? As for the aspirations of the noble family, we will only follow Jiwei and swear allegiance to them.”
An official who is a son of a noble family actually believes that His Majesty Li Er must weaken the family members in order to create a prosperous age. It can be seen that the chronic diseases of the family members have long made the world's knowledgeable people hate them. They would rather lose their own interests than eliminate the shortcomings and eliminate them. Chao Gang.
Of course Fang Jun understood this truth, but it was just that when he saw that the navy that spanned the seven seas was not used, he insisted on killing a thousand enemies on land and losing eight hundred, it was like a lump in his throat, and he couldn't help but feel unhappy.
After taking a sip of tea, he ordered: "I will send an order later, and all departments must prepare raincoats and rain gear in case of heavy rain."
Pei Xingjian said in a deep voice: "Here!"
Heavy rain is simply the nemesis of Youtun Guard, which he naturally knows, but he said: "General, you don't have to worry too much. The road conditions are one of the factors that determine whether the cavalry can maximize the cavalry's assault on the soldiers. The terrain is steep, the roads are narrow, and the mountains are full of rocks. Once it rains, it will inevitably become muddy, and even the rainwater from the mountain peaks on both sides will flow down and form puddles at the bottom of the valley, which is extremely unfavorable for cavalry charges. If it happens to catch up with heavy rain, Nuohebo will most likely be temporarily stationed in the valley. Wait until the rain stops before attacking.”
Heavy rain is indeed not conducive to the Youtun Guard's combat, but it also has a serious impact on the Tuyuhun cavalry. Unless Nuohebo can predict that the power of the Youtun Guard's firearms is a weapon to restrain the cavalry, it is unlikely that he will launch an assault in the rain. (End of chapter)